Leather-cutting machine.



PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

J. W. QKENNINGTON. LEATHER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1900.

2 SHBBTSSHEBT l.

err/i921 KQMA w \LXM x g WWJQQQZELQM' @A i!) 0338252 286 .2

PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

J. W. KENNINGTON. LEATHER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1900.

2 SHEETB-SHEET 2.

ivvezzz'on' wswwmkwxmm lilo. "783,725.

STATES Patented February 28, 1905.

PATENr rerun.

LEATHEFb-QUTTBNG MACIHHHME.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,725, dated February28, 1905.

Application filed November 24, 1900. Serial No. 37,612.

To all whom 11mg concern."

Be it known that I, JOHN W. KuNNINe'ro'N, a citizen of the UnitedStates. residing at Dedham, in the county of Norfolk, State ofMassachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inLeather-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a spe ciiication.reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to leather-cutting inachines of that class inwhich the leather is placed upon a hollow die attached to the frame ofthe machine with its cutting edge uppermost and is forced down upon thesame by a moving part of the mechanism. The present aim is to produce amechanism combining simplicity and lightness with great power and havinga rapid and certain action. Another object is to preclude thepossibility of accidental operation of the machine and consequentinjuryto the operator. Further practical advantages of the device will bereferred to in the course of the following description.

In the accompanyingdrawings I have shown the invention in the best formso far produced by me.

The essential characteristics of the invention will be more particularlypointed out and defined in the claims at the close of thisspecification.

in the drawings, Figure l is a side view of the machine, showing severalparts thereof in section, the hammer being shown in full lines inretracted position and in dotted lines in striking position. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same, thehammer-being shown in striking position. Fig. 4 is a view showingseparately the controlling-tread1e and its adjuncts.

The table supporting the moving parts of the machine is designated 1,one of the legs su iiporting the same being shown and being designated2.

3 3 are brackets bolted side by side near the rear edge of the table andprojecting upward therefrom, the upper ends of these brackets beingprovided with bearings 4; 4. In these bearings are received the journals5 of an oscillating frame 6, which latter extends for- 5 ward over thetable and itself carries near its front end bearings 7 '7 for thejournals 8 of an oscillating hammer 9.

The frame 6 is arranged to oscillate only through a very small arc, thepurpose of such oscillation, as will presently be more particularlyexplained, being to bring the hammer into action. The hammer itself, onthe other hand, when brought into action oscillates through an arc ofnearly one hundrzd and eighty degrees, it being brought into theposition indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 in or der to strike .downupon the leather placed upon the die, which latter is herein designated10. Tlie die is supported in a novel manner, as follows: 101 is adie-block which is attached to the tablel by bolts 102 passing throughears 103 at the sides of the block and entering tapped holes in thetable. Thedie-block and table have apertures corresponding with andforming a continuation of the open interior of the die to permit of theescape of the heel pieces cut from the leather. At the front and back ofthe block, on the upper face thereof, are ribs 104: 105, which are inline with each other and which are dovetailed in cross-section..lorresponding dovetailed channels are formed through the front and rearwalls of the die, the latter thus being adapted to slip onto the ribsand to be brought accurately to place over the aperture in the block.Pins 106 are then inserted into vertical holes in the ribs immediatelyoutside the die. securing the latter firmly in its proper position. Viththis arrangement the die is prevented from working loose under therepeated impact of the hammer. Atthe same time there is no diliiculty inremoving the die for sharpening the same or for other desired purposes,the only preliminary stop being removal of the pins 106.

The force exerted by the hammer upon the leather is not a mere pressure,as in the case of most other leather-cutting machines. but is percussivein its nature. The mechanism hereinafter described has been devised withthe general purpose of putting the hammer fully under the control of theoperator in certain of its movements and in causing the hammer tooperate correctly automatically in other particulars, whereby allcol'itingencies are met than the die itself.

and the advantages hereinabove set forth are secured.

The hub of the hammer is formed as a segment 11, which is concentricwith the pivot 8. Directly below the said pivot, beneath the table 1, issupported in bearings 12 a shaft 13, carrying a pulley 14. The peripheryof the pulley is covered with leather or some other material having afriction-surface, as indicated at 15. The diameters of the pulley 14 andsegment 11 are so proportioned that when the frame 6 is in its normal orraised position the two said parts will be separated from contact witheach other a slight distance-say the thirty-second of an inch. Aconstant rotation is given to the pulley 14 in the direction indicatedby the arrow thereon, and when the frame 6 is drawn downward, as willpresently he explained, the segment 11 is brought into contact with thepulley and is caused to rotate, and thereby to carry the hammer overinto its dotted-line position in Fig. 1. The force of the blowdeliveredupon the die by the hammer is governed by the degree of frictionalengagement between the segment and pulley, which in turn is regulated bythe degree of force with which the frame 6 is depressed by the operator.

The striking-face of the hammer is designated 91. It is made detachablein order that it may be replaced when worn out or changed for a face ofdifferent contour. The strikingface in use at any given time is onecorresponding in contour with the die, but slightly larger than thelatter, so as properly to cut the leather, while safely permitting theoperator in holding the leather to place his fingers very close to thecutting edge of the die. This construction avoids waste of material incutting,

inasmuch as the operator without danger may hold on the die a piece ofleather hardly larger As indicated in Fig. 1, a spindle 92 runs throughthe hammer-body, one end of the said spindle screwing into thestriking-face 91 from the rear side of the latter and the other endbeing screw-threaded to receive a nut 93. A transverse slot is formed inthe spindle and hammer-body to receive the key 94. A set-screw 95 bearsagainst the key and retains it in any desired position. The key havingthus been set, the nut 93 is turned up solidly, thereby securing thestriking-face 91 at the required adjustment. A pin 96 projects from therear side of the striking-face and enters a hole in the hammer-body toprevent the striking-face from rotating, and thereby becoming loose,while not interfering with the described adjustment of the latter. Vhenthe die becomes worn away,the nut 93 and setscrew 95 are loosened, thekey is driven outward to the required extent, and the parts are againset up.

To hold the frame 6 normally in its upper position, I employ one or morespiral springs tion of said rod being fitted within a tubularscrew-threaded boss 18, cast integral with the table. Each rod 17 passesthrough a vertical hole in the frame 6 and is provided with check nuts20 and 21 on the upper threaded end thereof, whereby the upward motionof the frame is limited. A check-nut 22 is also provided on each rod toretain the latter from coming loose in the boss 18. As will be seen, thespiral spring 16 is confined between the check-nut 22 and the frame 6.

In order to produce the depression of the frame 6, there is provided anactuating-rod 23, the upper end of which is pivoted at 2 1, Fig. 1, tothe tail of a hook 25, which hook in turn is pivoted at 26 betweenforwardly-projecting cars 27 on the frame 6. The hook 25 engages withthe upper end 23 of asliding bolt 29, mounted in the frame 6. Normallythe hook 25 is prevented from turning on its pivot 26 by reason of itsengagement with the bolt 29, as will be clearly evident from Fig. 1 ofthe drawings. So long as this is the case the pivot 24 is held in afixed relation to the frame 6, and a pull on the actuating-rod 23 willconsequently depress the frame and hold it depressed so long as the hookand bolt are in engagement with each other. VVhen,how ever, the bolt isdisengaged from the hook. the frame will be free to rise irrespective ofthe action of the rod 23. The actuating-rod is pivoted at its lowerextremity 231 to a foottreadle 232, Fig. 4c, mounted on rod 233,which isfixed at its endsin the frame of the machine. The treadle is extendedrearward of its pivot and is provided on such extension with a weight239. The weight will be made suflicient to normally produce an upwardthrust upon the actuating-rod 23. As has already been explained, thedepression of the frame 6 by means of the actuating-rod brings thesegment into contact with the leather-covered periphery of the pulleyand causes the hammer to be actuated to strike a blow upon the die.

In order to allow of the separation of the segment from the pulley atthe moment when the blow is struck, means are provided for retractingthe bolt,and thereby disengaging the hook and allowing the hook to turnfreely on To accomplish this object, 1 pro its pivot. vide on the shankof thehammera projection 30, which is arranged to strike a head 31,affixed by a pin 32 or other suitable means on the lower end of the bolt29. Herein the projection 30 is shown as arranged to actuatethe bolt 29at approximately the instant when the hammer has delivered its blow.(See dotted lines in Fig. 1.) The bolt is surrounded by a spiral spring33, which serves to hold its upper end projected, as shown in Fig. 1,into position to be engaged by the hook 25. The upper portion of thebore 331, in which the bolt slides, is enlarged beyond the diameter 16,each surrounding a rod 17, the lower por- 1 of the bolt sufficiently toaccommodate the reams said spring 33, and the latter is confined betweena shoulder on the upper end of the bolt and the bottom of the saidenlarged portion of the bore.

in order to provide for the proper retraction of the hammer, arod 34 isemployed, the upper end of which is provided with a pin 35. whichprojects through a segmental slot 351 in an arm 36, attached to one ofthe journals 8. The pin is provided with a washer 352 and check-nut toretain it in the slot, but the said pin isloose in the slot. The rodpasses loosely through a sleeve 37, which is journaled in cars 38,depending from the table 1. The bore in the sleeve is slightly flared attop and bottom to allow a free reciprocation of the rod through it.Below the sleeve 37 a spiral spring 39 is slipped upon the rod and isconfined thereon by a collar 40. Above the sleeve 37 the rod hasashoulder 371, of larger diameter than the bore of the sleeve, wherebythe spring 39 is prevented from retracting the rod any farther than itsindicated position in Fig. 1. A iillerblock 42, of hardened metal, isinserted in the upper end of the slot 351 and is retained therein by thebelt 421, washer 422, and nut 423, the said belt 421 passing through ahole in the filler-block. When the hammer is thrown forward, the rod 34remains inactive until the lower end of the slot 351 comes into contactwith the pin 35. The rod then is drawn upward through the remainingtraverse of the arm 36, the spiral spring 39 thereby being compressed.livered its blow the reaction of the spring draws down the rod until theshoulder 371 makes contact with the sleeve 37. tracts the hammer to apoint beyond a vertical position, from whence it falls backward byreason of its own weight and momentum into the completely-retractedposition of Fig. 1, it being positivelyarrested by contact of thetiller-block 42 with the pin 35.

in order to check the hammer when it is retracted and prevent thefiller-block from striking the pin' too heavily, a book 45 is provided,coi'iperating with a lug 46, formed upon the arm 36. The hook 45 issupported, but without being retained from. endwise motion, by restingin an u pwardly-projecting bracket 47, affixed to the table'l. The bookis attached to the end of a rod 48, extending rearward through a hole 49in the web 50 of the bracket 8. The rod 48 passes through a block 51 ofrubber or the like and is provided on its rear end with a disk or cap 52and check-nut 53.

When the hammer has nearly reached its most retracted position, the lug46 comes into forcible contact with the hook 45 and its motion ischecked thereby, the concussion being taken up by the rubber block 51.As already explained, a positive stop is provided in the contact of thefiller-block 42 with the pin ,As

shown in Fig. 1, the reaction of the rubber block 51 springs thefiller-block somewhat As soon as the hammer has dei This rei an awayfrom the pin after such contact has occurred. Enough vertical clearanceis left between thelug 46 and shank of the hook to permit of the slightdepression of the frame 6 which occurs when the hammer is thrown intoaction.

In order to prevent the hammer from rebounding after it has beenretracted, 1 provide a second hook 54, which projects upward just backof the lug 46 through a slot 55 in the body of the hook 45. The hook 54is formed on the end of an arm 56, pivoted at 57 to cars 58 on thetable 1. The said hook has its upper surface beveled off, so that in theretraction of the hammer the lug pushes aside the hook, the lattersnapping back into place behind it. The arm 56 is normally held upraised by a blade-spring 581, attached by a screw 59 to the table. Uponthe frame6 there is attached by screws 60 a push-rod 61, provided withan L-shaped bend 62 at its lower end, which bend projects over the arm56, on which the hook 54 is carried. fore, the frame 6 is depressed, thepush-rod 61 depresses the arm 56 and carries the hook 54 downward out ofthe way of the lug 46. This action takes place while the segment 11. isbeing brought into contact with the pulley .14, so that at the instantwhen such contact is actually made the hammer is free to be thrownforward against the leather on the die.

By the presence of the book 54 the hammer is prevented from beingaccidentally actuated in any other mode than by depression of thetreadle connected with the actuating-rod 23. it is only upon thedownward movement of the frame 6 and pushei' rod 61 that the said hookcan be withdrawn from the path of the lug 46. Thus if a scrap of leatherwere to fall upon the periphery of the pulley and were carried throughbetween the pulley and segment 11, thus making undesired engagementbetween them, the hammer would be prevented from being thrown by thepresence of the hook 54 in the path of movement of the lug 46.

An important part of the mechanism is a post 63, attached by bolts 64 tothe table 1at a point between the die 10 and the frame 6. Acorrespondingboss 641 is formed on the shank of the hammer. The post isof a height to be struck by the boss 641, while there is \V hen,therestill a slight clearance between the hammer head and the die.Furthermore, the projection 30 is so placed that at the time the boss641 strikes the post the bolt 29 will have been completely retractedfrom engagement with the hook 25, the frame 6 being thereby re leasedfrom downward pressure. As a consequence of the foregoing constructionwhen the contact of the boss 641 with the post 63 occurs the latter willact as a fulcrum, the hammer-head continuing downward into actualcontact with the die, while thehub of the hammer sinmltaneously kicks upand sepa- &

rates the segment 11 from the pulley 14. The motion just described,which is resisted at the hammer-head by the toughness of the leatherbeing cut and at the hammer-hub by the inertia of the frame 6 and thetension of the spring 39, causes the momentum of the hammer to becompletely expended, thus bringing it to a dead-rest at the instant theleather has been completely severed by the die. By this action thehammer is permitted to be quickly and easily returned to its initialposition under the action of the spring 39.

In order to regulate automatically the degree of pressure of the segment11 upon the pulley when the treadle is depressed, I provide a rod 235,depending from a cross-iron 236 on the frame of the machine and having ahooked lower end 237, in which the treadle plays. The upper end of therod 235 is screwthreaded and passes loosely through a hole in thecross-iron 236.

238 238 are adjustment-nuts above and below the cross-iron. By means ofthese nuts the hooked extremity 237 may be raised or lowered to permitof more or less depression of the treadle, and hence of a predeterminedgreater or less degree of contact between the pulley and segment. Thusthe accuracy of operation of the hammer is rendered independent of theskill of the particular operator who is running the machine.

hat I claim is 1. In a leather-cutting machine, in combination, arelatively fixed die, against the cutting edge of which the leather tobe cut is held, a movable hammer acting by its impact upon the leatherresting against said die to drive the leather on to the die and therebyeffect the cutting, and mechanism to impart momentum to said hammer andrelease it to its own momentum, substantially as described.

2. In a leather-cutting machine, in combination, a relatively fixed die,against the cutting edge of which the leather to be cut is held, amovable hammer acting by its impact upon the leather resting againstsaid die to drive the leather on to the die and thereby effect thecutting, mechanism to impart momentum to said hammer and release it toits own momentum, and, mechanism acting automatically to return saidhammer to its starting position and there hold it latched againstrebound, substantially as described.

3. In a leather-cutting machine, in combination, the movable hammer,power-actuating devices for communicating movement to said hammer andthen releasing it to make the efiective part of its stroke underacquired momentum, controlling devices whereby at the will of theoperator the said hammer is brought into action, and a die cooperatingwith said hammer, substantially as described.

4. In a leather-cutting machine, in combination, the movable hammer,power-actuating devices for communicating movement to said hammer andthen releasing the same to make the effective part of its stroke underacquired momentum, means to hold said power actuating devices normallydisconnected, controlling means whereby at the will of the operator thesaid devices are operatively connected to actuate the said hammer, and adie coacting with said hammer, substantially as described.

5. In a leather-cutting machine, in combination, the movable hammer,power-actuating devices for communicating movement to said hammer andthen releasing the same to make the effective part of its stroke underacquired momentum, means to hold said power actuating devices normallydisconnected, controlling means whereby at the will of the operator thesaid devices are operatively connected to actuate the said hammer, a diecoacting with said hammer, and mecl anism acting automatically to returnsaid hammer to its starting position and there hold it latched againstrebound, substantially as described.

6. In a leather-cutting machine, the combination of a movable hammer,mechanism to impart momentum thereto, devices, for disconnecting thesaid mechanism from the hammer at a predetermined point in the traverseof the latter, and a die arranged in connection with the hammer, to becaused to penetrate the leather by the momentum thereof.

7. In a leather-cutting machine, the combination of a movable hammer, amovable frame in which the hammer is mounted, mechanism for impartingmomentum to the hammer normally disconnected therefrom but brought intoengagement therewith by motion of the frame, devices for moving theframe, means for releasing such devices from the frame at apredetermined point in the traverse of the hammer and thereby permittingthe frame to return to its initial position, and a die arranged inconnection with the hammer, to be caused to penetrate the leather by themomentum thereof.

8. In a leather-cutting machine, the combination of a movable hammer, amovable frame in which the hammer is mounted, mechanism for impartingmomemtum to the hammer, normally disconnected therefrom but brought intoengagement therewith by motion of the frame, devices for moving theframe, means for releasing such devices from the frame at apredetermined point in the traverse of the hammer, a stop located in thepath of the hammer and affording a fulcrum therefor, whereby upon suchrelease, a portion of the momentum of the hammer is expended inreturning the frame to its initial position and disconnecting the hammerfrom the momentum-producing mechanism, and adie arranged in connectionwith the hammer, to be caused to penetrate the leather by the momentumthereof.

9. In a leather-cutting machine, the combination of a pivoted hammer, asegment on the hub thereof, a pulley, means to rotate the pulley, meansto bring the pulley and segment into engagement with each other, and adie arranged in connection with the hammer, to be caused to penetratethe leather by the momentum thereof.

10. In aleather-cutting machine, the combination of a pivoted hammer, amovable frame carrying the same, manually-operable devices for movingthe frame, releasably connected with the latter, means carried by thehammer for releasing such devices at a predetermined point in thetraverse of the hammer, a segment on the hub of the hammer, a rotatingpulley into contact with which the segment is brought by the movement ofthe frame, and a die arranged in connection with the hammer, to becaused to penetrate the leather by the momentum thereof.

11. In a leather-cutting machine, the combi nation of a pivoted hammer,a movable frame carrying the same, a rod manually operated for movingthe frame, connections between the rod and frame comprising a pivotedhook and sliding bolt, a projection on the hammer for retracting thebolt, a segment on the hub of the hammer, a rotating pulley into contactwith which the segment is brought by the movement of the frame, and adie arranged in connection with the hammer, to be caused to penetratethe leather by the momentum thereof.

12. In a leather-cutting machine, the combination of a pivoted hammer, amovable frame carrying the same, means to impart momentum to the hammerwhen the frame is depressed, a post in the path of the shank of thehammer, serving as a fulcrum on which the continued rotation of thehammer takes place, a portion of the momentum of the hammer operating toreturn the frame to its initial position, and

. a die arranged in connection with the hammer, to be caused topenetrate the leather by the momentum thereof.

13. In a leather-cutting machine, the combination of a movable hammer,means to impart momentum to the hammer, means to retract the hammerafter it has delivered its blow, a stop to limit such retraction, and asecond stop movably mounted to permit of such rctraction whilepreventing recoil of the ham mer.

1a. In aleather-cutting machine, the combination of a movable hammer,means to impart momentum to the hammer, a lug affixed to the hammer, aspring-held hook in the path of the lug to arrest the retraction ofthehammer, a second movable hook in the path of the lug to preventrebound of the hammer.

15. In a leather-cutting machine, the combination of a movable hammer, amovable frame carrying the hammer, mechanism for imparting momentum tothe hammer when the frame is depressed, a movable stop to prevent recoilof the hammer after the latter has been retracted, and a p usher on theframe adapted for engagement with the stop when the frame is depressed,to remove the stop from the path of the lug and permit themomentum-imparting mechanism to actuate the hammer.

16. In a leather-cutting machine, the combination of a movable hammer, amovable frame carrying the hammer, mechanism for impart ing momentum tothe hammer when the frame is depressed, a movable stop to preventactuation of the hammer, and means connected with the frame forwithdrawing the stop from. its operative position when the frame isdepressed, and permitting the hammer to be actuated.

17. In a leather-cutting machine, the combination of a movable hammer, amovable frame carrying the hammer, mechanism for imparting momentum tothe hammer when the frame is depressed, a sliding bolt on the frame, apivoted hook engaging with the bolt, an actuating member for deprcssi ngthe frame, attached to the hook, and cooperating members on the bolt andhammer for retracting the belt at a predetermined point in the traverseof the hammer.

18. In a leatheueutting machine. in combination, a swinging hammer,i'ncchanism for imparting momentum to the hammer, a rod havingpin-and-slot connection with said hammer whereby a certain amount ofrelative movement is permitted, a guide th rough which said rod ispassed, and a spring connected with said rod for retracting the same,substantially as describe l.

19. In a leather-cutting machine, the combination of a movable hammer,mechanism for imparting momentum to the hammer, an arm on the hammerhaving a slot therein, a rod having a pin playing in the slot, andhaving a shoulder, a journaled sleeve through which the .rod slides, anda spring for retracting the rod and bringing the shoulder thereof intocontact with the sleeve, thereby partly retracting the hammer by theforce of the spring and allowing the remaining part of the retraction ofthe hammer to occurimlependently of the spring.

20. In a leather-cutting machine, in combination, a cutting-die, ahammer, a train of antomatic actuating connections for operating thesaid hammer by momentum, said train being normally broken ordisconnected to leave. the hammer imiperativc, and means to close thebreak in the said train to occasion the operation of the hammer,substantially as described.

21. In a leathcr-cutting machine, in combination, a cutting-die, ahammer, means to retract the hammer aftcr having been actuated to effecta cutting, means to lock the hammer in its retracted position, a trainof automatic actuating connections for imparting momentum to the saidhammer normally broken or disconnected to render the hammer inoperative,and means to close the break in the said train to occasion the operationof the hammer and simultaneously unlatch the said locking means torelease the hammer, substantially as described.

22. In a leather-cutting machine, in combination, a cutting-die, ahammer, means to actuate the said hammer embracing a treadle wherebysuch means is rendered operative at the Will of the attendant upon themachine to occasion a stroke of the hammer, and a spring to retract thehammer to its normal position of rest, substantially as described.

